Browsing Posts tagged Live export

Australian Cattle Facing Month-Long Sea Journey to Slaughter in Russia

by Animals Australia

–Our thanks to Animals Australia for permission to republish this story, which appeared on their site on April 30, 2014.

Cruelty to Australian animals exported live has become a tragically commonplace revelation in recent years. But what about the journey these animals endure to reach far-flung countries in the first place?

Australian black cattle–Animals Australia

A trip to Europe is on the wish list of many Australians. The 24 hours of tiring travel and jet lag are willingly endured, knowing that wonderful experiences await on arrival.

The same can’t be said for the 35,000 Australian cattle who have just commenced their month-long journey by sea from South Australia to Russia – only to arrive half a world away to be “fattened” and slaughtered.

The 16,000 km shipboard journey for these animals will take them across the Indian Ocean, up the Gulf of Aden, into the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal, across the Mediterranean Sea, and into the Black Sea.

Every day for the length of this journey they will be confined to pens, with the ship engine vibrating beneath them as it motors over the open sea. Heading into the start of the harsh Middle Eastern summer, they face exposure to huge variance in temperature and conditions. All the while, they will be unable to move freely, and the unforgiving floor surfaces pose the risk of pressure wounds and injuries. The spectre of pneumonia will also hang over them—research has found that this infection (also called Bovine Respiratory Disease) is a leading cause of death on long haul cattle voyages. continue reading…

Australians Apologize to Animals

–Our thanks to Animals Australia for permission to republish this story, which appeared on their site on October 2, 2013.

Were you as appalled as we were when Prime Minister Tony Abbott “apologised” to Indonesia, calling the 2011 live export suspension a “panic over a TV program”?

Yes, this is the same suspension put in place by the Labor Government to prevent heinous animal cruelty from continuing; the same suspension that finally motivated the Federal Government to implement sweeping regulatory changes after three decades of inaction during which tens of millions of animals have suffered; and the same suspension that led the cruel “Mark I” slaughter box widely used throughout Indonesia—to be banned.

The footage filmed in October 2012—in the only two abattoirs accredited to import and slaughter Australian cattle—depicts horrific abuse of Australian cattle.

On accessing the footage in early April, Egyptian veterinarian, Dr Mahmoud Abdelwahab, contacted Animals Australia and investigators immediately travelled to Egypt to obtain the evidence from him. Whilst in Egypt, investigators obtained further footage from Ain Sokhna abattoir and interviewed Dr. Abdelwahab and two slaughtermen. On returning to Australia, Senator Ludwig was notified and the Department of Agriculture was supplied with footage and eye witness testimony chronicling a horror story of routine abuse of Australian animals at both of these facilities.

Dr. Abdelwahab revealed that a worker and a veterinarian had taken footage of the abuse and suffering of animals at the two abattoirs purely for their own amusement and that of others.

“The workers make these films as jokes, they make them for entertainment, not because they care, or think their actions are wrong,” said Dr. Abdelwahab.

In one horrific incident an injured steer had his leg tendons slashed and eyes stabbed in an attempt to kill him after he escaped from the slaughter box—breaking his leg in the process.

In another, an animal is found walking around the abattoir with a gaping neck wound after his throat was cut. continue reading…

—Our thanks to Animals Australia for permission to republish this news report, which appeared on their site on July 2, 2012.

In the calm waters of Eilat Bay in Israel, an unusual white figure was seen bobbing in the cold water. Was it a boat? A pelican? No. It was an Australian sheep, swimming for his life.

Rescue of Sahar the sheep--courtesy Animals Australia

Sahar, as he became known, had jumped or fallen from the nearby pier where a live export ship was unloading. He was beyond exhausted, and struggling to stay afloat. His fleece was waterlogged, and his thin legs—never intended for swimming—were paddling fast but failing to keep his head above water. continue reading…

"Service Animal" Scammers (New Yorker): An increasing number of your neighbors have been keeping company with their pets in human-only establishments simply by claiming that the creatures are their licensed companion animals and are necessary to their mental well-being.